Bali mynah

The illegal pet trade has driven this species almost to extinction. Help wildlife by making responsible choices when bringing home a new pet.

Conservation Messaging Opportunities

Help stop habitat loss

Help stop the illegal exotic pet trade

The Bali mynah is a mostly white bird, with black-tipped wing and tail feathers. The birds have long, drooping feathered crests on the tops of their heads. Around their eyes, they have bare patches of skin that are a strikingly bright blue. Their legs are a duller blue-grey, and their bills are a grey or brown color that fades to a yellow near the tip.
Males and females are almost identical, but males may have a longer head crest.
They are around 9-10 inches long and weigh 2-4 ounces.

Range – Island of Bali in Indonesia
Habitat – Open savannas, grasslands, woodlands, and adjacent closed-canopy tropical forests

Breeding takes place during the rainy season. Males and females form monogamous, long-term pair bonds.
The male and female build the nest together in a tree cavity, and line it with twigs, plant material, and feathers.
The females lay two or three light blue eggs per clutch.
Eggs are incubated, mainly by the female, for 12-14 days. The male brings food to the female while she incubates the eggs and to chicks once they hatch.
The parents continue to feed the checks for up to 7 weeks. Chicks fledge around 21 days.
During breeding season, males and females defend the nest together.

The species has been protected by law in Indonesia since 1970. Trapping for the illegal pet trade has driven this species almost to extinction. Even now, while the remaining birds are in a national park and active conservation programs are in place, this is still a threat. Their rarity makes them a status symbol.
Habitat loss due to conversion for agricultural use is an additional problem. In 1991, the wild population was down to six individuals. The wild population is estimated to be less than 50 individuals, and captive population is more than 1,000 worldwide.

Songbirds are in extremely high demand in Southeast Asia for the pet trade, singing competitions, status symbols, medicine, and food. Indonesia has one of the highest numbers of threatened bird species in the world. The sale of birds, production and sale of bird food, organization of singing competitions and other activities associated with bird keeping are a source of income for many people in Indonesia, so conservation efforts must include working with the people in these communities and consider cultural and economic impacts of the unsustainable pet trade in the short and long term. There are deep cultural roots in the tradition of birdkeeping.
In addition to cultural and economic impacts, all life in an ecosystem is interconnected, and the loss of songbirds in Indonesia’s forests will have an impact on the other plants, animals, and humans that depend on the forests.

Zoo Atlanta is an active participant in AZA’s Bali Mynah Species Survival Plan® (SSP) and works with other accredited zoos around the country for the conservation of the species.
Zoo Atlanta works to educate our guests about ways to help put an end to wildlife trafficking and the illegal pet trade. We’re working to make sure our guests understand how to make the most responsible pet choices for their lifestyle and how to provide for their animal’s needs to help them thrive. Additionally, we want guests to understand what it requires to be AZA-accredited and how that means we provide excellent care for the animals living here so they can thrive in a zoological setting.

Do your research before bringing a new pet into your home to ensure you can provide the food, space, shelter and enrichment they need to thrive, not just survive. Encourage your friends and family to do the same!
When seeking out a new pet, do not purchase wild-caught animals. They may be sold online, and sellers may not provide full or accurate information about where the animal came from. Do plenty of research to ensure you are bringing home a pet from a reputable organization or source. There are rescues for many species, including birds, reptiles, and small mammals, that you can also adopt from.

Small flocks of 20-30 birds may form outside of breeding season.
The Bali mynah is also called the Jalak Bali and Bali starling.
The Bali mynah has been the official bird of the Bali province since 1991.
Their song is a variety of loud chattering and includes whistles and high-pitched notes.
They do not migrate but inhabit the same area year-round.

Begawan Foundation. (n.d.). Bali Starling community-based conservation project in the village of Melinggih Kelod.Retrieved May 06, 2020, from http://begawanfoundation.org/bali-starling
BirdLife International. 2018. Leucopsar rothschildi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22710912A129874226. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22710912A129874226.en. Downloaded on 06 May 2020.
Craig, A., C. J. Feare, and C.J. Sharpe (2020). Bali Myna (Leucopsar rothschildi), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.balmyn1.01
Jepson, P., Ladle, R., & S. (2011). Assessing market-based conservation governance approaches: A socio-economic profile of Indonesian markets for wild birds. Oryx, 45(4), 482-491. doi:10.1017/S003060531100038X
Nelson, S. (2018, March 19). Bali Myna Species Fact Sheet. Retrieved May 06, 2020, from http://aviansag.org/Fact_Sheets/PACCT/Bali_Mynah.pdf
San Diego Zoo. Bali Myna. (n.d.). Retrieved May 07, 2020, from https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/bali-myna

Updated May 2020